Extending communication capabilities of a vehicle

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for extending communication capabilities of a vehicle are described herein. The systems and methods enable a user equipment to facilitate communication between a vehicle and a central system, adding the vehicle as a node in the system.

BACKGROUND

The use of on-demand vehicles continues to rise. These vehicles, oftencalled “ride share” vehicles, are used in a way such that a user hailsthe vehicle using an application on their phone or through an Internetwebsite. The vehicle, driven by a human or driven autonomously, arrivesat the location and time requested by the user. Because of theirincreased use, users often desire to have the vehicles more personalizedto their taste, such as seat position, radio station, cabin temperature,and the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanyingfigures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference numberidentifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Theuse of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similaror identical items or features.

FIG. 1 depicts a system for extending the communications capabilities ofa vehicle, in accordance with some examples of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are user interfaces that may be used to register avehicle as a node in a vehicle node server, in accordance with someexamples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an illustrative process for extending communicationcapabilities of a vehicle, in accordance with some examples of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 4 depicts a component level view of an endpoint for use with thesystems and methods described herein, in accordance with some examplesof the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Examples of the present disclosure can comprise systems and methods forextending communication capabilities of a vehicle. In some examples ofthe presently disclosed subject matter, a vehicle is placed incommunication with a vehicle node system using a mobile device of a userof the vehicle. Once a user initiates communication with the vehicleusing a registration application, the vehicle is added as a component ofthe vehicle node system.

In some examples, a user initiates a registration application to selecta vehicle for use. For example, the vehicle may be used as part of aride-share service or may be an autonomous vehicle. In other examples,the vehicle may be a personal vehicle owned by the user or anotherperson or entity. Once selected, if the vehicle is capable ofcommunicating with a mobile device, the user will be presented with anoption to register the vehicle in a vehicle node system.

When registered, data from and to the vehicle is transmitted using amobile device acting as a node in the system. The registrationapplication of the mobile device establishes a data communicationchannel between the vehicle and the vehicle node server. The vehiclenode server uses the data transmitted using the registration applicationto monitor the vehicle as well as coordinate the actions of the vehiclewith the user and other nodes in the system. In this manner, the use ofthe registration application to open a data communication channelintegrates the vehicle into a communication and control network.

Using user equipment, such as a mobile device, to provide the means fortransferring data can also be beneficial in various ways. For example,if the user equipment is not being used in conjunction with the vehicle,such as after a ride or before the vehicle is hailed, the vehicle maynot need to be a node for a vehicle node server, thereby reducingcomputing resources required to track vehicles, including those not inservice. In this manner, the system is self-adjusting using the userequipment as the input to provide for the adjustment.

The systems and methods discussed herein are discussed generally withrespect to cellular UEs, tablets, computers, and the like, and in termsof components (e.g., network entities) associated with Wi-Fi networks,BLUETOOTH networks, wired networks, fourth-generation (4G) andfifth-generation (5G) cellular networks, and other types of networks.The systems and methods can be used with other types of equipment and onother types of networks, however, where users may wish to have increasedflexibility in sending and receiving calls, video calls, and messages.Thus, the systems and methods described herein are described in terms ofthe 4G and 5G networks merely because these networks represent the stateof the current art. One of skill in the art will recognize, however, thesystems and methods could also be used on other networks that providevideo calling such as, for example, Internet of Things (IoT),machine-to-machine (M2M), sixth-generation (6G), and other current andfuture networks.

As shown in FIG. 1, examples of the present disclosure can comprise asystem 100 used to extend communication capabilities of vehicles. Insome examples, the system 100 is configured to allow the registration ofvehicles, such as vehicle 102A and vehicle 102B as a component of thesystem 100. To register the vehicle 102A as a component of the system100, user equipment 104A, which in this example is a mobile device,includes a registration application 106A. It should be noted that thefollowing description relating to the user equipment 104A and thevehicle 102A also apply to the user equipment 104B and the vehicle 102B,as well as similarly numbers items. The registration application 106Acommunicates with the vehicle 102A using a transceiver 108A installed inthe vehicle 102A. The transceiver 108A can be comprised of varioustechnologies, including a radio frequency transceiver, a BLUETOOTH®transceiver, a near field transceiver, or other communicationtechnologies compatible with the user equipment 104A.

The transceiver 108A transmits data, control commands, and the like,from and to the onboard systems 110A of the vehicle 102A to the userequipment 104. The onboard systems 110A may vary from vehicle tovehicle, but may include systems such as throttle control, steering,temperature control, braking, audio controls, climate controls, seatcontrols, and the like. The onboard systems 110A may also include datasuch as cabin temperature, speed, location, audio channel and volume,seat positions, and the like. The presently disclosed subject matter isnot limited to any particular type of onboard systems 110A.

The registration application 106A is used to register the vehicle 102Awith a vehicle node server 112. The vehicle node server 112 receivescommunications through a network 114, which may be a cellular network, aWiFi network, or other various types of network. The vehicle node server112 acts as the central communication hub that coordinatescommunications between various entities in the system 100. The vehiclenode server 112 includes a node registry 116 that maintains a listing ofall active and inactive nodes registered in the system 100. In someexamples, the node registry 116 may also include a listing of allinactive nodes that were previously registered as active nodes but, forvarious reasons, are now currently inactive. For example, the vehicle102A may have previously been registered as an active node in the noderegistry 116, but after the end of a ride provided to a user, the usermay have deactivated the vehicle 102A. In this example, because thevehicle 102A was previously registered as a node and saved as an activenode in the node registry 116, if the vehicle is being registered again,authentication procedures used to register the vehicle 102A may beabbreviated or eliminated in some examples.

As used herein, a “node” is a device, component, or function thatreceives, sends, or processes data in the system. Thus, as used herein,the user equipment 104A and 104B, as well as the vehicle 102A and 102B,may be considered “nodes” in the system. In use, the vehicle node server112 establishes various nodes in order to manage and coordinatecommunication between the various entities in the system. Because insome examples the presence of a vehicle in the system is temporary, theuse of nodes as a means to coordinate the integration and de-integrationof the vehicles in the system 100 can be useful.

During use, the vehicle(s) 102A and/or 102B can be registered as nodesin the system 100 through the use of the registration application 106Aand/or 106B, respectively. In the example of a ride-share vehicle,including an autonomous vehicle, a user (not shown) may initiate a rideapplication 118A to hail a ride from a ride-share service. As usedherein, a “ride-share” service is a third-party service that provides avehicle for use for others. The vehicle can be owned by the third-partyor may be owned by individuals that are providers of the third-party.Further, being a third-party does not exclude parties such as a mobilenetwork operator from providing the vehicle. It should be noted that thepresently disclosed subject matter is not limited to third-partyvehicles, as various aspects of the presently disclosed subject mattermay be used in vehicles such as personal vehicles. The ride application118A is used to hail a ride for a specific time or location. A vehicleis selected and sent to the designated place and time. The vehicle, suchas the vehicle 102A, is either driven by a human pilot or an autopilot(such as with autonomous vehicles).

When the vehicle 102A is hailed using the ride application 118A, in someexamples, the vehicle 102A may be capable of communicating with the userequipment 104A using the transceiver 108A. It should be noted that thetransceiver 108A may be a wired or wireless transceiver. If soconfigured and capable, the user will be informed through theregistration application 106A, or other available application such asthe ride application 118A, that the vehicle 102A is en route and/orcapable of being integrated into the system 100 as a node for thevehicle node server 112.

In the present example, the user equipment 104A and/or 104B are used toprovide a communication pathway between the vehicle 102A/102B and thevehicle node server 112. The use of the user equipment 104A/104B extendscommunication capabilities of the vehicle 102A/102B by using thecellular capabilities of the user equipment 104A/104B. As described inmore detail below, once the vehicle 102A/102B is identified andregistered as a node, the user equipment 104A/104B can be used toestablish a data channel between the vehicle 102A/102B and the vehiclenode server 112. A user profile 120 created when a user subscribes tothe services of a mobile network operator 122 can be uploaded to thevehicle 102A and may be used to configure the vehicle 102A. For example,the user profile 120 may include information about the user such as apreferred cabin temperature, music station, seating position, and thelike. It should be noted that the vehicle node server 112 may beoperated by the mobile network operator 122 or another entity. Thepresently disclosed subject matter is not limited to any particularentity operating the vehicle node server 112.

As discussed above, the types of data transferred in a data flow usingthe data channel may vary. In some examples, the data flow may be avehicle 102A setting, a vehicle 102A condition, a location of thevehicle 102A, a location of the vehicle 102A in relation to the vehicle102B, or a navigational landmark. Conditions of the vehicle may include,but are not limited to, fully operational, updated on maintenance,fueled to a particular level, and the like. In some examples, anavigational landmark may be used to further define the location of thevehicle, for example, in highly congested areas or in areas in which aGlobal Positioning System location may not be accurate or available. Infurther examples, the data flow may include an emergency brake warning,traffic avoidance information, directional assistance, lane changeassistance, or speed assistance. For example, the vehicle 102A may beregistered with the vehicle node server 112 using the registrationapplication 106A and the vehicle 102B may be registered with the vehiclenode server 112 using the registration application 106B.

In an example, Global Positioning System (GPS) data from the userequipment 104A and the user equipment 104B may be used by the vehiclenode server 112 to help navigate the vehicle 102A and 102B,respectively. The vehicle node server 112 may detect a condition, suchas an emergency condition, based on the speed, location, or heading ofthe vehicle 102A using data received from the vehicle 102B andcommunicate a notification or command in response to the data, such asan emergency braking operation or instructing the vehicle 102A to takean alternate route. In this example, the vehicle node server 112 canupdate a configuration associated with the vehicle 102A based on datareceived from the vehicle 102B using the data channel provided by theirrespective user equipment 104A and 104B.

The data channel opened using the registration application 106A or 106Bmay be of various forms. For example, the data channel may be the datachannel used by cellular networks, such as the network 114, to providedata. The data can be streaming, whereby the data channel remains active(in a manner similar to streaming media). The data channel may also bean intermittent channel, whereby data is transmitted when a condition ismet, such as a required change in navigational instructions. The datachannel may also be a timed transmission in which data is transmitted inpackets rather than maintaining an open and active data channel. In someexamples, the type of connection may vary, such as changing from aconstant on channel (e.g. streaming) to an intermittent channel. Itshould be noted that the presently disclosed subject matter is notlimited to any particular type of channel, as other types ofcommunications may be used, such as voice, SMS, and the like.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are user interfaces that may be used to register avehicle, such as the vehicle 102A or 102B, as a node in the vehicle nodeserver 112. In FIG. 2A, the user equipment 104A renders the rideapplication 118A. The ride application 118A is an application that, whenused, hails a vehicle, such as the vehicle 102A, to a location and timeinput by a user using the ride application 118.

Once the ride application 118A has been used to hail the vehicle 102A,the user equipment 104A renders various user interfaces to extendcommunication capabilities of the vehicle 102A. In FIG. 2B, the userequipment 104A renders the registration user interface 202. Theregistration user interface 202 is configured to receive a user input toregister the vehicle 102A as a node in the system 100. The registrationuser interface 202, in the example illustrated in FIG. 2B, is renderedwhen the vehicle 102A is detected at a location proximate to the user orthe location at which the vehicle is to be used. In some examples, theregistration user interface 202 may be rendered upon the hailing of thevehicle 102A. The presently disclosed subject matter is not limited toany time or location at which the registration user interface 202 may berendered.

Upon receiving an input at the registration user interface 202, in theexample illustrated in FIG. 2B, the vehicle 102A is entered into anidentification and authentication process. The manner in which thevehicle 102 is authenticated may vary from application to application.For example, the identification of the vehicle 102A may bepre-registered with the mobile network operator 122. In some examples,the vehicle 102A transmits data to the vehicle node server 112, or otherservice, to be identified and authenticated, indicated by authenticationindication 204. In other examples, the vehicle 102A may be used as anode without an identification and/or authentication process. Forexample, if the vehicle 102A is detected to be proximate to a user orthe user equipment 104A, the vehicle 102A may be added as a node. Onceauthenticated, the initiate communications interface 206 is rendered.When the initiate communications interface 206 detects a selectioninput, the registration application 106A causes the user equipment 104Ato commence communication with the vehicle 102A and open a data channelto the vehicle node server 112 through the network 114.

FIG. 3 is an illustrative process 300 for extending communicationcapabilities of a vehicle, such as the vehicle 102A. The process andother processes described herein are illustrated as example flow graphs,each operation of which may represent a sequence of operations that canbe implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. In thecontext of software, the operations represent computer-executableinstructions stored on one or more computer-readable storage media that,when executed by one or more processors, perform the recited operations.Generally, computer-executable instructions include routines, programs,objects, components, data structures, and the like that performparticular functions or implement particular abstract data types. Theorder in which the operations are described is not intended to beconstrued as a limitation, and any number of the described operationscan be combined in any order and/or in parallel to implement theprocesses.

As discussed above, when hailing a vehicle, including an autonomous orride-share vehicle, it may be beneficial to use a user equipment (suchas a mobile phone) to create a data pathway between the vehicle and acentral service, such as the mobile network operator 122 or the vehiclenode server 112. Communicatively connecting the vehicle 102A with themobile network operator 122 can provide for various benefits. Forexample, the user profile 120 may be uploaded to the vehicle 102A tocreate a personalized riding experience. Further, because of theubiquitous nature of many cellular networks, adding the vehicle 102A asa node and coordinating the movement of the vehicle 102A with othervehicles, such as the vehicle 102B, using a data channel provided by theuser equipment 104A can, in some examples, increase ride satisfaction,safety, and the like. Using the user equipment 104A to provide the meansfor transferring data can also be beneficial in various ways. Forexample, if the user equipment 104A is not being used in conjunctionwith the vehicle 102A, such as after a ride or before the vehicle ishailed, the vehicle 102A does not need to be a node for vehicle nodeserver, thereby reducing computing resources required to track vehicles,including those not in service. In this manner, the system 100 isself-adjusting using the user equipment 104A or 104B as the input toprovide for the adjustment.

Referring to FIG. 3, the process 300 commences at operation 302, wherethe registration application 106A is initialized. In some examples, theregistration application 106A is initialized in response to the hailingof a vehicle. In one example, the ride application 118A may be used tohail the vehicle 102A. In other examples, the registration application106A may be initialized in response to the detection of the userequipment 104A proximate to the vehicle 102A if the vehicle 102A isconfigurable to communicate with the user equipment 104A. For example, auser may hail a cab or a vehicle with the use of the ride application118A. The user equipment 104A may receive an input that the vehicle 102Ais capable of being added as a node to the vehicle node server 112. Thisinput may be transmitted by the vehicle 102A, may be detected by theuser equipment 104A, or received in other manners. The presentlydisclosed subject matter is not limited to any particular manner inwhich the registration application 106A is initiated.

Initiating the registration application 106A can commence variousprocesses. For example, initializing the registration application 106Amay communicatively connect the user equipment 104A to the vehicle nodeserver 112, informing the vehicle node server 112 that the userequipment 104A will be commencing a registration operation for thevehicle 102A. If the vehicle 102A was previously registered, the vehiclenode server 112 may proceed and register the vehicle 102A as a node andnot require other operations of process 300.

The process 300 continues to operation 304, where communications withthe vehicle 102A is established. The communications with the vehicle102A may be between the vehicle node server 112 and the vehicle 102A ifthe vehicle 102A is capable of communicating using the network 114. Inother examples, the communication between the vehicle node server 112and the vehicle 102A may use the user equipment 104A. In other examples,if the vehicle 102A is in communication with a third-party service (suchas a ride sharing service), the vehicle node server 112 may establishcommunications with the third-party service.

The process 300 continues to operation 306, where the vehicle 102A isauthenticated. In some examples, the authentication operation may havebeen conducted previously. In some examples, the vehicle 102A isauthenticated to ensure that the vehicle 102A that is being added as anode is the intended vehicle. For example, two individuals may havehailed a vehicle for the same location and time. The authenticationprocess verifies which of the vehicles proximate to the user intendingto register the vehicle 102A is the correct vehicle. The vehicle 102Amay be authenticated using various forms of identification, including apicture of the license plate, information transmitted by the vehicle's102A onboard computer, and the like. The presently disclosed subjectmatter is not limited to any particular form of information used toauthenticate the vehicle 102A.

The process 300 continues to operation 308, where the user profile 120is uploaded to the vehicle 102A. In examples where the vehicle 102A iscapable of being configurable according to various parameters stored inthe user profile 120, the vehicle 102A may use the user profile 120 toconfigure the vehicle 102A. In other examples, the user profile 120 maybe used to verify the user entering the vehicle. For example, the userprofile 120 may indicate to the vehicle 102A that the user using thevehicle 102A has a user equipment 104A with specific identifyinginformation. In this manner, the user may be assured that the correctvehicle 102A has arrived and the vehicle 102A (or the driver if not anautonomous vehicle) may be assured that the passenger entering thevehicle 102A is the correct passenger.

The process 300 continues to operation 310, where the registrationrequest from registration application 106A is transmitted to the vehiclenode server 112. In some examples, it may be beneficial to send theregistration request after the vehicle 102A and/or the user isauthenticated to reduce the number of potentially incorrect or maliciousregistration requests.

The process 300 continues to operation 312, where the user equipment104A and/or the vehicle 102A receives a notification that the vehicle102A is registered as a node.

The process 300 continues to operation 314, where a data channel toprovide for a data flow is initiated, allowing the user equipment 104Ato facilitate data communications between the vehicle 102A and thevehicle node server 112. In some examples, the process 300 can includean operation to de-register the vehicle 102A upon notification that theride has been completed. The completion of the ride may include, but isnot limited to, an arrival at a pre-determined destination, or, when anoccupant exits the vehicle 102A. The de-registration removes the vehicle102A as an active node. The notification can be received in variousmanners, including an input by a user, payment to the ride-share companyindicating the service is complete, and other manners. The process 300thereafter ends.

FIG. 4 depicts a component level view of the user equipment 104A for usewith the systems and methods described herein. The user equipment 104Acould be any device capable of communicating using the network 114. Theuser equipment 104A can comprise several components to execute theabove-mentioned functions. As discussed below, the user equipment 104Acan comprise memory 402 including an operating system (OS) 404 and oneor more standard applications 406. The standard applications 406 caninclude many features common to user equipment such as, for example,applications initiated using voice commands (such as Internet searches,home appliance controls, and the like), music player, Internet radio,and other such applications. In this case, the standard applications 406can also comprise a video call application, an audio call application,and a messaging application to enable users to engage in audio calls,video calls, and messaging, among other things. The standardapplications 406 can also include contacts to enable the user to selecta contact to initiate, for example, a video call, audio call, textmessage, etc.

The user equipment 104A can also comprise the registration application106A and the ride application 118A. As mentioned above, the registrationapplication 106A is an application that, when an input is received,initiates the registration operation of the vehicle 102A as well asinstructing the user equipment 104A to open a data channel between thevehicle 102A, the user equipment 104A and the network 114. The rideapplication 118A is an application designed to hail a vehicle for use bya user.

The user equipment 104A can also comprise one or more processors 412 andone or more of removable storage 414, non-removable storage 416,transceiver(s) 418, output device(s) 420, and input device(s) 422. Invarious implementations, the memory 402 can be volatile (such as randomaccess memory (RAM)), non-volatile (such as read only memory (ROM),flash memory, etc.), or some combination of the two. The memory 402 caninclude all, or part, of the registration application 106A and/or theride application 118A. In some examples, rather than being stored in thememory 402, some, or all, of the registration application 106A and/orthe ride application 118A, and other information, can be stored on aremote server or a cloud of servers accessible by the user equipment104A.

The memory 402 can also include the OS 404. The OS 404 varies dependingon the manufacturer of the user equipment 104A. The OS 404 contains themodules and software that support basic functions of the user equipment104A, such as scheduling tasks, executing applications, and controllingperipherals. In some examples, the OS 404 can enable the registrationapplication 106A and/or the ride application 118A, and provide otherfunctions, as described above, via the transceiver(s) 418. The OS 404can also enable the user equipment 104A to send and retrieve other dataand perform other functions using the registration application 106A.

The user equipment 104A can also comprise one or more processors 412. Insome implementations, the processor(s) 412 can be one or more centralprocessing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), both CPU andGPU, or any other processing unit. The user equipment 104A may alsoinclude additional data storage devices (removable and/or non-removable)such as, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks, or tape. Suchadditional storage is illustrated in FIG. 4 by removable storage 414 andnon-removable storage 416.

Non-transitory computer-readable media may include volatile andnonvolatile, removable and non-removable tangible, physical mediaimplemented in technology for storage of information, such as computerreadable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data.The memory 402, removable storage 414, and non-removable storage 416 areall examples of non-transitory computer-readable media. Non-transitorycomputer-readable media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM,electronically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory or othermemory technology, compact disc ROM (CD-ROM), digital versatile discs(DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape,magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any othertangible, physical medium which can be used to store the desiredinformation and which can be accessed by the user equipment 104A. Anysuch non-transitory computer-readable media may be part of the userequipment 104A or may be a separate database, databank, remote server,or cloud-based server.

In some implementations, the transceiver(s) 418 include any transceiversknown in the art. In some examples, the transceiver(s) 418 can includewireless modem(s) to facilitate wireless connectivity with othercomponents (e.g., between the user equipment 104A and a wireless modemthat is a gateway to the Internet), the Internet, and/or an intranet.Specifically, the transceiver(s) 418 can include one or moretransceivers that can enable the user equipment 104A to send and receivedata from the vehicle 102A, video calls, audio calls, and messages andto perform other functions. Thus, the transceiver(s) 418 can includemultiple single-channel transceivers or a multi-frequency, multi-channeltransceiver to enable the user equipment 104A to send and receive videocalls, audio calls, messaging, etc. The transceiver(s) 418 can enablethe user equipment 104A to connect to multiple networks including, butnot limited to 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, and Wi-Fi networks. The transceiver(s)can also include one or more transceivers to enable the user equipment104A to connect to future (e.g., 6G) networks, Internet-of-Things (IoT),machine-to machine (M2M), and other current and future networks.

The transceiver(s) 418 may also include one or more radio transceiversthat perform the function of transmitting and receiving radio frequencycommunications via an antenna (e.g., Wi-Fi or BLUETOOTH®). In otherexamples, the transceiver(s) 418 may include wired communicationcomponents, such as a wired modem or Ethernet port, for communicatingvia one or more wired networks. The transceiver(s) 418 can enable theuser equipment 104A to make audio and video calls, download files,access web applications, and provide other communications associatedwith the systems and methods, described above.

In some implementations, the output device(s) 420 include any outputdevices known in the art, such as a display (e.g., a liquid crystal orthin-film transistor (TFT) display), a touchscreen, speakers, avibrating mechanism, or a tactile feedback mechanism. Thus, the outputdevice(s) can include a screen or display. The output device(s) 420 canalso include speakers, or similar devices, to play sounds or ringtoneswhen an audio call or video call is received. Output device(s) 420 canalso include ports for one or more peripheral devices, such asheadphones, peripheral speakers, or a peripheral display.

In various implementations, input device(s) 422 include any inputdevices known in the art. For example, the input device(s) 422 mayinclude a camera, a microphone, or a keyboard/keypad. The inputdevice(s) 422 can include a touch-sensitive display or a keyboard toenable users to enter data and make requests and receive responses viaweb applications (e.g., in a web browser), make audio and video calls,and use the standard applications 406, among other things. In someexamples, the input device(s) 422 may be a communication cable connectedbetween the user equipment 104A and an output/input of the vehicle 102Asuch that communications between the user equipment 104A and the vehicle102A is a wired connection. The touch-sensitive display orkeyboard/keypad may be a standard push button alphanumeric multi-keykeyboard (such as a conventional QWERTY keyboard), virtual controls on atouchscreen, or one or more other types of keys or buttons, and may alsoinclude a joystick, wheel, and/or designated navigation buttons, or thelike. A touch sensitive display can act as both an input device 422 andan output device 420.

The presently disclosed examples are considered in all respects to beillustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the disclosure isindicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description,and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalentsthereof are intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a memory storingcomputer-executable instructions; and a processor in communication withthe memory, the computer-executable instructions causing the processorto perform acts comprising: initializing a registration application on amobile device; establishing communication with a vehicle; authenticatingthe vehicle; uploading a user profile to the vehicle; sending a requestto a mobile network with which the mobile device is in communication toregister the mobile device as a node on a vehicle node server and toregister the vehicle as an endpoint on the vehicle node server;receiving a notification that the vehicle is registered on the vehiclenode server; and initializing a data channel to provide for a data flowbetween the vehicle and the vehicle node server using the registrationapplication of the mobile device.
 2. The system of claim 1, whereinestablishing communication with the vehicle comprises: identifying thevehicle from a plurality of vehicles associated with one or moretransportation providers; receiving a notification that the vehicle isconfigured to be used for transportation of a third party; and receivinga notification that the vehicle is either en route to a location or atthe location.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data flow comprisesdata of at least one of: vehicle setting data; vehicle condition data;vehicle location data; a location of the vehicle in relation to a secondvehicle; or a navigational landmark.
 4. The system of claim 1, the actsfurther comprising receiving an updated vehicle configuration to updatethe vehicle based on second data received from a least a second vehicleregistered as a node in vehicle node server.
 5. The system of claim 1,wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.
 6. The system of claim 1,wherein the data flow comprises data of at least one of: an emergencybrake warning; traffic avoidance information; directional assistance;lane change assistance; or speed assistance.
 7. The system of claim 1,wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the processor toperform further acts comprising de-registering the vehicle as a nodeupon completion of a ride.
 8. A method comprising: initializing aregistration application on a mobile device; establishing communicationwith a vehicle; sending a request to a mobile network with which themobile device is in communication to register the mobile device as anode on a vehicle node server and to register the vehicle as an endpointon the vehicle node server; receiving a notification that the vehicle isregistered on the vehicle node server; and initializing a data channelto provide for a data flow between the vehicle and the vehicle nodeserver using the registration application of the mobile device.
 9. Themethod of claim 8, further comprising: determining if the vehicle hasbeen previously registered on the vehicle node server; in response todetermining that the vehicle has not been previously registered on thevehicle node server, authenticating the vehicle; and in response todetermining that the vehicle has been previously registered on thevehicle node server, registering the vehicle.
 10. The method of claim 8,wherein the data flow comprises data of at least one of: a vehiclesetting; a vehicle condition; a location of the vehicle; a location ofthe vehicle in relation to a second vehicle; or or a navigationallandmark.
 11. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving anupdated vehicle configuration to update the vehicle based on second datareceived from a least a second vehicle registered as a node in vehiclenode server.
 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the vehicle is anautonomous vehicle.
 13. The method of claim 8, wherein the data flowcomprises data of at least one of: an emergency brake warning; trafficavoidance information; directional assistance; lane change assistance;or speed assistance.
 14. The method of claim 8, further comprisingde-registering the vehicle as a node upon completion of a ride.
 15. Auser equipment (UE), comprising: a transceiver to send and receive atleast one of wired or wireless transmissions; memory storingcomputer-executable instructions including at least a ride applicationand a registration application; and a processor in communication with atleast the transceiver and the memory, the computer-executableinstructions causing the processor to perform acts comprising: receivingan input by the ride application to hail a vehicle for a ride;transmitting a request to a service to provide the vehicle for the ride;receiving a proximity notice that the vehicle is proximate to a locationprovided in the request; initializing the registration application toregister the vehicle as a node in a vehicle node server; receiving aregistration notice that the vehicle is registered as the node in thevehicle node server; and initializing a data channel to provide for adata flow between the vehicle and the vehicle node server using theregistration application.
 16. The UE of claim 15, wherein thecomputer-executable instructions further comprise instructions to causethe processor to perform the act comprising receiving a notificationthat the vehicle is either en route to a location or at the locationprovided in the request.
 17. The UE of claim 15, wherein the data flowcomprises data of at least one of: a vehicle setting; a vehiclecondition; a location of the vehicle; a location of the vehicle inrelation to a second vehicle; or or a navigational landmark.
 18. The UEof claim 15, the acts further comprising receiving an updated vehicleconfiguration to update the vehicle based on second data received from aleast a second vehicle registered as a node in vehicle node server. 19.The UE of claim 15, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle. 20.The UE of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions causethe processor to perform further acts comprising de-registering thevehicle as a node upon completion of the ride.